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Sky-Tonight.com / Nebulae / M24

Small Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24) Observation Details

M24

M24 Daily Motion


M24 will be visible until September, 28, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.

M24 Visibility Timetable on May 10

M24 Rise and Set Timetable

TimeElevation
Moon Rise, 93.2% illuminated17:59-62°
Astrosession begin22:22-14°
M24 rise23:41
Astrosession end04:3332°
M24 transit04:3532°
Moon Set05:0531°
Civil sunrise05:5129°
Sunrise06:2226°
M24 set09:29

Track M24 Position Throughout the Night

← Sat, 10 May 2025 →

Elevation (degrees)
Time
Altitude
Azimuth
Shift the map to change the time and observe M24 changing position in the night sky.

M24 - Sagittarius Star Cloud

The Sagittarius Star Cloud (M24) is a dense region of the Milky Way galaxy located in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764. The star cloud is an area rich in stars, clusters, and nebulae, providing a spectacular view in small telescopes or binoculars.

M24 spans about 600 light-years across and contains thousands of stars. The star cloud is approximately 10,000 light-years away from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 4.6, making it visible to the naked eye.

M24 Image Gallery

DSS Blue

M24 photo taken with blue filter
These images are valuable for highlighting the presence of younger, hotter stars, which emit more light in the blue wavelengths.

DSS Red

M24 photo taken with red filter
These images are excellent for detecting older, cooler stars, as well as emission nebulae, which glow primarily in the red due to hydrogen alpha emissions.

DSS Near-Infrared

M24 photo taken with Near-Infrared filter
These images can penetrate dust clouds that obscure visible light, revealing structures and objects hidden within.

DSS Composite image

M24 color image
DSS Color images are composite images created by combining the blue, red, and often near-infrared images to produce a full-color representation.

The photos are taken from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2), which was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) under NASA contract, using data from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and the National Geographic Society-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS II).

Special thanks to the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the California Institute of Technology for their significant contributions.

Finder Chart for M24

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Object nameM24
Field of view
Limiting magnitude
M24 coordinates18.28226, -18.51456
Center coordinates18.28226, -18.51456

M24 Passage Through Night

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Current position of M24

Time06:44
Latitude39.9625
Longitude-83.0061
M24 elevation25°
M24 Azimuth147°
Here you can see the current position of the M24 on the map, as well as its positions for rise and set. This tool allows you to track the M24's movement throughout the night, providing you with accurate and up-to-date information.

Annual motion of M24

Time
DateSat, 10 May 2025
Twighlight start22:18
Twighlight end04:28
Twighlight duration6h 10m
Rise23:41
Set09:29
Elevation at transit32°
Transit time04:35
Equatorial coordinatesRA: 18h 16m 56s", Dec: -18° 30' 52s
Magnitude5
ConstellationSagittarius
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a M24, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the M24 is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit.

Data Credits

The nebulae information on this page is sourced from the OpenNGC project, developed by Matteo Verga. OpenNGC provides detailed data on the NGC catalog, which is a valuable resource for exploring deep-sky objects such as nebulae.

For more details or to contribute to OpenNGC, visit the official GitHub repository: OpenNGC on GitHub.